These are some of the symptoms the football hero reveals he has struggled with over the years. Recently, it has been linked to dementia, Parkinson’s syndrome, and other neurodegenerative diseases, but specific answers regarding the connection are still few.
– There isn’t much we know concretely, says doctor Stian Bahr Sandmo to Nettavisen.
The Norwegian doctor, affiliated with the Center for Sports Injury Research, has researched and followed developments in the field for many years.
Bahr sandmo explains this in more detail further down in the article,but first it is indeed worth hearing from Gary Pallister.
United Legend: – Vomited
The 59-year-old won the Premier League four times with Manchester United. He was a robust centre-back, good in the air. But already at the age of 17,Pallister began to feel that his body wasn’t functioning as it should.Something was wrong.
In an interview with BBC, he doesn’t hide the fact that he suspects the many head impacts, caused in part by heading the ball, as a reason for this.
– I suffered from migraines three to four times every year, which weakened me quite a lot. Vision, speech, tingling in the body, and severe headaches. it could last for hours. it would end with me vomiting; only then did the pain begin to ease.
– The following day, I was devastated.I was knocked out for two days – it was pain, nausea, and afterwards, I felt completely horrible.
Pallister started his career with Middlesbrough in 1984. In 1989, he moved on to Manchester United and became a central part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first golden generation in the Premier League. In total, the Englishman played over 500 matches at club level.
– You start to think about whether being a center-back and heading the ball a lot could be a cause of the pain.
TOUGH CONTEST: Manchester United’s Gary Pallister in a duel with Leeds players Alfie Haaland and David Hopkin.
Photo: Jon Gardner (AP)
– It was only when I stopped playing football that these migraines went away.
Increased Focus in England
Pallister says he still functions quite well but fears that his football career has left its mark.
– Right now, I think it’s going well; I can solve Sudoku and I try some brain exercises. But what I went through with migraines and concussions makes me know there’s a chance I could have a brain injury.
In England, the link between heading, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases has received a lot of attention in recent years. Another Manchester United hero, Gordon McQueen, died in 2023 at just 70 years old, having been affected by dementia.
Another example is former West Bromwich Albion player Jeff Astle. He died in 2002. Astle was known as an excellent header and the cause of death was classified as an occupational injury; he had simply sustained too many minor impacts to the head throughout his life.
Recently, goal-scoring legend Alan Shearer has also expressed concern about how the many head impacts have affected him. In 2017, the former Newcastle striker, now a football expert, fronted a documentary for BBC about the link between dementia and football.
other prominent names diagnosed with dementia include Peter Bonetti, brothers Jack and Sir Bobby Charlton, and Nobby Stiles.
In the USA, the connection between football and potential brain injuries has also been on the agenda, particularly after former Kansas City player Scott Vermillion was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease and died at the age of 44 in 2020.
Norwegian Doctor: – Indicates Increased Risk
Doctor Bahr Sandmo explains that there are currently not many concrete answers regarding the connection between heading and brain health in football, even though several well-known names, particularly in Britain, have come forward and spoken openly about the topic in recent years.
– We don’t know definitively what potential injuries might be related to heading. The challenge is to find out: How many times and how hard can you hit your head before it triggers harmful consequences for the brain? he says to Nettavisen.
– Head injuries are currently recognized as one of many risk factors for dementia, but the specific effects of repeated, low-grade head impacts are less clear.
He explains that the most concrete knowledge about the brain health of footballers is based on three studies from Scotland, France, and Sweden. All three studies indicate a clear trend.
– Thay have looked at how former professional footballers have fared after their careers. They have looked at death registers and identified causes of death, comparing the group with the general population, says Bahr Sandmo.
– In all of these studies, there are figures suggesting that there is an increased risk of dementia. The repetition of this finding across multiple studies indicates that it is indeed not coincidental.
EXPLAINING: Doctor Stian bahr Sandmo at the Centre for Sports Injury Research.
Photo: Amalie huth Hovland / University of Oslo
the doctor points out that the next step in research will be to find out whether the problems many football players experience during and after their active careers can indeed be linked to heading, or if other factors are at play.
– The next question in the research is: What drives this difference? It’s not good research until we have an answer on whether it is actually a outcome of heading, and not other variables such as lifestyle factors. We need to analyze what the potential contributors are – is it alcohol, concussions, head injuries, heading, or something else? he says.
– Currently, there is no final clarification on that. There are not sufficient studies on what has contributed to the increased risk. But heading is one of the suspects on that list.
Howey: – Everything Went Black
Another person who wants to be open about their issues is former Manchester City and Newcastle player Steve Howey.
He tells BBC that he struggles to find the right words in everyday conversation. He can also forget things he saeid just ten minutes ago. The 53-year-old has recently undergone an MRI of his brain which revealed a certain degree of cognitive decline.
– When I think about it now, it’s madness.But back then, nobody thought about what the potential risks could be in the future.It was really just about this being my job, says the former defender.
Howey is one of several who are now filing a class action lawsuit against the football authorities in England to seek compensation for the brain injuries they have allegedly sustained as a result of life as a football player.
– Sometimes you could head the ball and everything would go black.This especially happened if the ball came in at great speed. You would get that “where am I now” feeling. After a little while,you realized where you were. Then it was just to carry on,says Howey.
– It’s only when you hear about the many tragic stories from some former professional players that you think: This could actually happen to me.
Bahr Sandmo is glad that more and more people are coming forward and sharing their stories from the football environment, but emphasizes that more specific research is needed before any concrete conclusions can be drawn.
– These anecdotes exist, and they are important to shed light on the situation.research shows, as mentioned, a connection between having played football for many years and an increased risk of dementia, but to what extent playing position, playing style, and other such factors play a role is also something we don’t know much about.
– But in actual research, one cannot rely on anecdotes when drawing conclusions; larger groups must be compared: I did this and that in my life and now I’m like this can be linked to many things.
He reminds us that the ailments many football players experience are also issues that affect other people in society.
– You will also find people who have not played football struggling with headaches. The job of research is to find out more precisely what causes different types of ailments through long, complex lives, he says.
How do head impacts from football compare to other contact sports in terms of long-term brain health effects?
Interview: teh Consequences of Heading in Football with Expert Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo
Time.news Editor: Welcome, Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo! It’s an honor to have you here. As a specialist in sports injury research, you’ve been following the potential connections between head impacts in football and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s. Given the recent revelations from former players, including Gary Pallister, can you tell us what the latest research indicates about thes concerns?
Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo: Thank you for having me! The conversation around head impacts in football is becoming increasingly vital. While there’s a growing awareness, the scientific community still lacks definitive answers about how heading affects brain health. What we do know is that head injuries are recognized as one of many risk factors for dementia, but the specifics, particularly concerning repeated low-grade impacts, remain vague.
time.news Editor: That’s certainly concerning. Gary Pallister has shared his experiences with migraines and other symptoms that he attributes to his time in the game. He remarked that the migraines disappeared after he stopped playing. Do you think this points to a larger issue of brain health among retired footballers?
dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo: Absolutely, Gary’s experience is not unique. Symptoms like migraines can be a significant concern for many players and may indeed be linked to head impacts during their careers. It’s alarming that we see such patterns not just in Pallister but across several former players.Studies have shown that repeated head impacts can contribute to cognitive issues and potentially serve as precursors to more severe neurodegenerative diseases.
time.news Editor: The tragic cases of players like Gordon McQueen and Jeff Astle, who had well-documented battles with dementia, certainly highlight this issue. What does the current research say about the long-term effects of heading the ball?
Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo: Research indicates a clear trend suggesting an increased risk of dementia among former professional footballers. Several studies conducted in Scotland, France, and Sweden have consistently pointed out these risks. They examined mortality rates and causes among former players compared to the general population,revealing concerning patterns that we cannot ignore.
Time.news Editor: That’s a strong foundation of evidence. But you mentioned that there isn’t a clear understanding of the threshold—how many impacts or at what force the danger begins. Can you elaborate on this challenge?
Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo: Certainly. The challenge lies in quantifying the impacts. We still need to determine how many times and how hard a player can head a ball before it becomes detrimental to their health. This complexity is compounded by the fact that many injuries are low-grade, accumulating over time rather than presenting as a single, traumatic incident.
Time.news Editor: As awareness grows in England, is there any movement towards changing how the game is played to protect players?
Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo: Yes, there is an increasing focus on player safety.In recent years, initiatives have been proposed, such as limiting heading in training and prioritizing awareness of concussions. There’s a growing call from former players for changes that can mitigate risks while still preserving the essence of the game.
Time.news Editor: Thank you for shedding light on this critical matter, Dr. Bahr Sandmo. It’s evident that more research is needed, but the football community must also start taking these concerns seriously to protect current and future generations of players.
Dr. Stian Bahr Sandmo: Thank you for having me. It’s essential that we continue this dialog and advocate for the health and safety of athletes at all levels. Football brings immense joy to many,but we must ensure that the risks are managed effectively.